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The top daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings on 7/27/21. Brian Entrekin's MLB DFS analysis and sleepers for building optimal DFS rosters.
We have a 15-game main slate on tap tonight, and it should be a fun one. There is some top-end pitching with McCullers and Morton, but you may not need the top-end arms with so many mid-tier and punt pitchers. We have a lot of game totals well over nine, meaning there should be offense galore as well. With 15-games, ownership should be spread out, which allows us to play some of the more popular stacks a bit more, but still avoiding some chalk is always a good idea in tournaments.
The slate starts with which pitchers to build around. Do you pay up for McCullers or Morton, or say screw it and save money on the mound? I am leaning towards starting with Wainwright or Maeda and then punting with Montgomery or Watkins. With this pitching approach, you will have all the money for bats. However, if you want to pay up for pitching, do not worry, as there is a lot of value in bats, especially in the outfield with some of the players discussed below. If you would like a full slate rundown to listen to MLB DFS Quick Hits.
This article will provide you with my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings on 7/27/2021. The lineup will range from some of the elite players to mid-priced options and value plays. You can also check out today's FanDuel MLB DFS lineup picks and read more DFS advice and lineup picks for other sports too. It’s also important to monitor injury news and today's MLB starting lineups. If you have any questions or comments, contact me on Twitter @bdentrek.
DraftKings DFS Starting Pitchers
Kenta Maeda - P, MIN vs. DET ($8,200)
Maeda has been pretty solid since coming off the IL in early June and has been really good of late. Over his four July starts, he has at least five innings in each start and allowed three earned runs or less in each start. He is also racking up strikeouts which we love for DFS, with at least six strikeouts in each start. Maeda has allowed only one home run with a 2.35 ERA, 1.68 FIP, and 2.74 xFIP. Maeda has also walked only four over this stretch which has resulted in a 31.4% K-BB. He has been great and gets a matchup versus the sneaky good Tigers tonight. In his last two starts versus the Tigers (both recently), he combined for 10 innings, three runs, and 15 strikeouts. It is not a comfortable thing facing the same team this often, but Maeda is locked in and priced too cheap. Maeda makes for a solid tournament arm as well as a cash game play with Wainwright.
Spenser Watkins - P, BAL vs. MIA ($5,600)
Pitchers like Watkins allow your lineups to have all the bats tonight. Watkins has made three starts since he was called up and has thrown 15.1 innings with three earned runs and 13 strikeouts. Seven of those strikeouts have come in his last start and hopefully is a sign of things to come tonight versus the Marlins. Watkins will be leaving hitter-friendly Camden Yards for pitcher-friendly Miami tonight, which is already a check in the right direction. Then he gets to face a struggling Marlins' offense that has not been the same with Jazz Chisholm (maybe back really soon) and Garrett Cooper on the IL. Over the last 30 days, the Marlins are striking out 26% of the time versus RHP with a .241 average against and a 94 wRC+. Watkins is dirt cheap and makes for a great punt tonight in your tournament lineups.
Other Options: Lance McCullers (HOU at SEA) $10,400, Charlie Morton (ATL at NYM) $9,800, Adam Wainwright (STL at CLE) $8,800, Dylan Cease (CWS at KC) $8,600, Jordan Montgomery (NYY at TB) $6,700
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DraftKings DFS Infielders
Mitch Garver - C, MIN vs Tyler Alexander ($4,500)
Garver has returned from the IL and is doing Garver things once again. He has hit safely in two of his three starts, with multiple hits in those games. He has two home runs and two doubles in those games, putting up monster DK nights in those two starts. Tonight he gets a favorable matchup versus Alexander. Garver loves to flex his muscle versus LHP and, on the season, has a .290 ISO with a .468 SLG. He is an all-or-nothing option since he also hits only .177 versus LHP. He will face Alexander, who has struggled versus RHH this season. Alexander is allowing RHH to hit .304 with a .520 SLG and 1.9 HR/9. Garver makes for a great tournament play, and teammates like Josh Donaldson should be heavily on your radar tonight.
Joey Votto - 1B, CIN at Adbert Alzolay ($4,100)
Votto has been absolutely raking of late and is still priced well too cheap tonight. Votto brings a four-game hitting streak into tonight's game, where he has hit safely in three straight games. He has also hit safely in seven of his last eight games with six extra-base hits, including four home runs over that stretch. Over the eight games, Votto is hitting .414 with a .483 ISO and a 1.197 OPS. He is walking at a 13.9% rate while barreling the ball 22.7% of the time with a 50% hard-hit rate. Votto is absolutely locked in and faces Alzolay tonight, who has allowed 3-6 runs over his last six starts while allowing at least two home runs in five of those starts. Lock Votto in once again tonight. If you want a mega-punt and not pay for Votto, then Ryan Zimmerman versus Moore tonight is always a solid play at only $3100.
Ozzie Albies - 2B, ATL at Anthony Banda ($4,000)
Albies comes into tonight's game, hitting safely in four of his last six games. Over that stretch, he has three extra-base hits, a .192 ISO, and a .462 SLG. He has been a bit up and down most of the season, and that has resulted in the great price we get once again tonight. What we also get tonight is a matchup versus an LHP, which Albies loves. On the season, Albies is hitting .333 with a .292 ISO and a .975 OPS versus LHP. He has mashed them in his career and gets a chance to keep that going tonight. Side note, Banda likely does not go too deep into the game, so Albies may only get one to two at-bats versus Banda, which could still be enough. If you want to pay a little more tonight, you can go to Jose Altuve, who is far too cheap at $4500.
Gleyber Torres - SS, NYY at Shane McClanahan ($3,400)
The second half of Gleyber has been absolutely awesome. He brings an eight-game hitting streak into tonight's game, where he has hit three home runs and stole four bases. He is mashing right now with a .423 ISO and a 1.188 OPS. His contact quality has improved greatly with a 15% barrel rate and a 45% hard-hit rate. He faces a tough lefty in McClanahan tonight, but Torres has hit .272 with a .130 ISO and .752 OPS versus LHP this season. Regardless of the matchup, Torres is far too cheap for his recent production. He is a cash lock tonight and a great tournament play, even as a one-off.
Wilmer Flores - 3B, SF vs. Julio Urias ($3,500)
Flores heads into tonight's matchup versus the Dodgers swinging a hot bat. He has hit safely in seven of his last nine games with a .276 average. Flores has four extra-base hits, including three home runs over this stretch to go with a .345 ISO and a 1.003 OPS. He is locked in right now while walking 8.8% of the time and only striking out 11.8% of the time. He will face Urias tonight, who threw seven strong innings versus the Giants his last start out, but in his previous two starts versus the Giants, he combined for 11 innings, nine runs, and two home runs. Flores is not a given tonight but makes for a nice tournament value and a cheap piece of a super sneaky Giants' stack. As mentioned above, if looking for a potentially safer play, then look into Josh Donaldson.
DraftKings DFS Outfielders
Kyle Tucker - OF, HOU at Chris Flexen ($3,300)
I am not sure what haterade DK is sipping on, but the pricing on Tucker has been downright awful of late, and tonight it is hitting a new low. Tucker comes into tonight's game scorching hot, hitting safely in six of his last seven games. He has homered in four games, has a .481 ISO, and a 1.099 OPS over the seven-game stretch. Tucker is only striking out 10.7% of the time, meaning he puts the ball in play a lot which works great with a 16.7% strikeout rate and 41.7% walk rate. Tucker is insanely locked in and just far too cheap. Plug Tucker into your cash lineups, tournament lineups, all lineups.
George Springer- OF, TOR at Garrett Richards ($4,500)
It's been a rough, injury-riddled season for Springer, and it appears he is finally feeling healthy as he is raking. Springer has hit safely in seven of his last eight games, with multiple-hit games in three games. Springers is hitting .367 with six extra-base hits, including three home runs. He has a .400 ISO, 1.208 OPS, and 223 wRC+. Springer has been locked in and has even moved to the leadoff spot, where he has hit safely in all three games with an extra-base hit in each game. He gets to face Richards tonight who allowed three home runs to the Jays in his last start and has allowed eight runs to the Jays over his last two starts versus them. Again, Springer is locked in and makes for a great play tonight in your Jays' stacks of even a one-off in cash and tournaments.
Dylan Carlson - OF, STL at Cal Quantrill ($2,900)
Talk about another player swinging a good bat and priced far too cheap. Carlson has hit safely in five of his last seven games with seven extra-base hits, including three home runs. He has a .448 ISO, 1.077 OPS to go with a 20.8% barrel rate and 41.7% hard-hit rate. Carlson has been locked in as the Cardinals' lead-off hitter. He will face Quantrill tonight, which bodes well for Carlson's continued hot streak. Quantrill has pitched well his last two starts but still a lot of pitching to contact. On the season, he is allowing LHH to hit .261 with a .455 SLG and at least one HR/9. Carlson brings great value tonight and is a nice piece of a Cardinals' stack with Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado.
DraftKings DFS Stacks
- Toronto Blue Jays (Garrett Richards, RHP)
- Washington Nationals (Matt Moore, LHP)
- Cincinnati Reds (Adbert Alzolay, RHP)
- Sneaky Stacks- Oakland Athletics (Chris Paddack, RHP)
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